As governors at St Matthew’s School we are here to support the work and education of our children. The following is a review of the important work and improvements which have happened over the last academic year.

The Head, Deputy and Senior Leadership team, along with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body, consulted on the areas in school which they considered to be the main targets for improvement, over the academic year, the four areas concerned are as follows:

Governance

To look at the work of the Governing Body and ascertain where our strengths and weaknesses lay. Father John as Chair and Mrs Hallows as Vice Chair, have met regularly with Mrs Ryding to keep abreast of standards and self evaluation throughout the school. Mrs Ryding and Mrs Hallows have worked closely on the new strategic vision for the school. The governors have undergone an external governor review which was carried out by a member of the Governor Support Unit. Mrs Ryding and Mrs Hallows also prepared a file with all the work the governors undertake. This was presented as evidence when the review was undertaken in May of this year.

The review was commissioned to assist us in our self evaluation and ascertain, from an external perspective, where we are and where improvements are required. Overall, the review was very positive but there are areas of governance which need to be looked at. The recommendations, which have been made, will be included in the Governors’ Action Plan for the forthcoming academic year. We are very grateful to Mrs Annette Harris, who carried out the review for us, and extend our sincere thanks.

All governors have visited the school on a regular basis, especially those governors who have a curriculum responsibility. They attend school assemblies, concerts, school trips and fund raising activities. Governors have also attended training sessions in order equip them for the ever changing responsibilities they incur.

As governor for reading Mrs Gayle Brown, one of our parent governors, has provided an overview of her visits to school as follows:

With her responsibility for the above Mrs Brown met with Mrs Clemmett to look at the children’s work. This year her focus has been the assessment system and monitoring progress, especially progress made by Pupil Premium children because this is a priority in the School Development Plan. Although the system is relatively new, due to the demands of the new curriculum, a thorough system is in place which clearly tracks the progress the children are making in each class. Each child is individually assessed against their age related reading skills (or year group below where appropriate) and that data is inputted every half term. It has proved an effective system, especially in highlighting where children’s progress has dropped and an intervention needs implementing.

Mrs Brown looked closely at the data related to the Pupil Premium children’s outcomes in reading up to the Summer 1 (Summer 2 isn’t complete).

Mrs Brown’s full findings are recorded in the feedback from her visit but it is clear that these children are making progress at varying rates with some staying in line with their peers and others not inline but still making progress. Interventions are, and will, continue for these children in order for them to achieve their potential in reading.

Mr Channel, our Local Education Authority Governor, has the responsibility for mathematics and he has provided the following comments on his visit to school:

The school had previously set itself clear challenges in further developing a wider range of understanding and application of mathematics across KS1 and KS2. In the light of the KS2 statutory assessment test outcomes, it would be prudent for the governing body to validate that these are both appropriate and adequate. On visiting all but one of the classes in the school, a snap shot of teaching demonstrated a range of differentiated activities for children and it is now the challenge for the governing body to ascertain whether the stretch and challenge required of more able children is fully delivered. A more regular systematic schedule of visits to look at progress in mathematics would help support this work.

We welcomed David Mayor as a new Parent Governor and Kath Winterbotham as a Foundation Governor during the year. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Mrs Jones, who resigned from the Governing Body, due to work commitments. We would like to express our sincere thanks for the work Mrs Jones contributed. An election to replace her is underway and it is hoped a new foundation governor will be in situ at the beginning of the new school year.

We also have to express our grateful thanks to Father John who has stepped down as Chair of Governors. Father John is going on sabbatical and will not be able to carry out the duties of chair whilst he is away. He will, however, remain on the governing body in his role as ex officio governor. Father John has carried out the role of Chair for fourteen years and we would like to thank him for his guidance and support.

A new Chair and Vice Chair will be nominated at the first meeting of the Governing Body in September. In the meantime, Mrs Hallows will act as Chair until the nominations have taken place.

Assessment, Tracking and Recording

As there are no longer any levels to assess children on their progress Mr Harding, Deputy Head, Mrs Ryding, Head and Mrs Clemmett have worked over the year to provide a rigorous method of assessing children’s work, tracking and monitoring their progress and recording the outcomes. Over the year the governors have been kept informed through visual evidence, of the way this very important part of the children’s work is progressing.

Pupil Premium Champion

Mrs Clemmett was asked to take over the responsibility of the Pupil Premium Grant. This is money which is set aside for children who need extra input because of various social and economic reasons. The government feel that such children should be given the same opportunities as all children. Mrs Clemmett has done an outstanding job over the year. Working with groups of children and encouraging them to reach their academic potential. She was instrumental in applying for a local award and we were successful in achieving a local Pupil Premium Grant Award. Tight control of the money, is also another aspect of her work, and she is accountable for the way in which the money is spent. Mrs Hallows, as Pupil Premium Governor, has been kept informed of the work that is being done and has evidenced, through school visits, the excellent way Mrs Clemmett has carried out the work involved.

Maths Mastery

It was felt that initiatives should be put in place, so that the more able children in school, should be supported to extend their abilities in mathematics. This has been focused on over the year and extra interventions have been provided to stretch these children..

RE Inspection

Mr Harding, who has responsibility for RE in school, Mrs Ryding, staff and children are to be congratulated on the “Outstanding” achievement in all areas of religious education. Religious education underpins all that is done at St Matthew’s so that the children in school are nurtured within a safe, secure and happy environment within the Christian ethos of a church school. Well done to everyone!

Staffing Updates

We welcomed to the teaching staff Miss Barnes, who has responsibility for Year 3. Miss Smith moved to Reception and Miss Wilson to Year 1. Mrs Clemmett, as leader of KS1 had the added responsibility of supporting and working in all three classes, along with the added responsibility of English Co-ordinator and Pupil Premium Champion.

Our thanks are also extended to Miss Bielby who will be leaving us at the end of term to take up a new teaching role nearer her home. We all wish her well and thank her for the contribution she has made to our school.

Music

Another first for our school, our brass section were invited to participate in a concert at Birmingham Town Hall at the beginning of July. They were the only school in Bolton who were represented, and the only brass section participating. Brilliant, what an achievement !

Other Developments

The refurbishment of the kitchen was carried out over the summer holidays but, unfortunately, was not fit for purpose when the children returned in September. However, the following week the kitchen was up and running even though there were still some snagging to be completed which have subsequently been done.

In the light of health and safety it was deemed necessary to improve the lighting in the school hall. This was done, as a temporary measure, because it is hoped in the fullness of time improvements to the hall will be carried out and the lighting will feature in this renovation.

We have recently been awarded a grant to have the heating system replaced in school. It is hoped some of the work will be done over the summer holidays. Obviously there is bound to be some disruption but we hope to keep it to a minimum.

Another very busy and fulfilling year where a great deal has been achieved, but we must not be complacent, there is still plenty to do. Thank you to everyone at the school teaching, non-teaching, kitchen, cleaning staff and volunteers, we all have our part to play and we couldn’t do it without you.

About Us

To place the Christian Values of Faith, Hope, Love, Honesty and Justice at the centre of all that we do.